Twin sisters Argita and Detina Zalli lived an ordinary life in Albania with their parents, enjoying their youth and dreaming of their future. When the Albanian government collapsed, their country became one of poverty, anarchy, and civil war. They narrowly escaped death and kidnapping the few times they left their house. Hence, their parents decided it was time to leave the country for a better life. Good Morning, Hope by Argita and Detina Zalli follows the harrowing yet inspirational true story of the Zalli family’s journey fleeing a war-torn country and becoming refugees, enduring a new set of dangers in a strange land. 

The story’s full title is Good Morning, Hope: A True Story of Refugee Twin Sisters and Their Triumph over War, Poverty, and Heartbreak. Argita and Detina take turns detailing their experiences as they remember them. And they preface their story by informing us that relatives have confirmed their memories and details from the past. Hence, readers can rest assured they are getting the most authentic version. That being said, once readers begin, they will not be able to pull themselves away from the Zalli twins’ captivating story. 

Mr. and Mrs. Zalli scrounged up thousands of dollars to secure legal and safe transport out of Albania. But that was just the tip of the iceberg; they encountered many hardships along the way. Having only the clothes on their backs and very little else to their name, each step seemed to become more and more dangerous. Authorities could have discovered and deported them at any time, yet they relied on themselves and each other to survive. While they eventually made it to England, the new part of their journey was just beginning. 

I’ve read a handful of memoirs before, and Good Morning, Hope is on the top of the list. The Zalli twins are fantastic storytellers. They take the reader back in time to when the teenagers were experiencing these frightening scenarios for the first time. I hung on every word, hoping for their safe passage the entire way through. My heart broke for them at each setback. I wanted to give them a reassuring pep talk each time their classmates bullied them for being refugees. Needless to say, after learning about how they remained resilient and eventually made their dreams come true, the hardships they faced were surely worth it in the end.

All in all, I definitely recommend that lovers of historical fiction and memoirs add this one to their reading list. Good Morning, Hope is available March 7.